Liu Yun's nerves were drawn tight, like a thread on the verge of snapping. The battle saber in his hand gleamed coldly beneath the afterglow of the setting sun, ready at any moment to face an unknown threat. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the barren land ahead. Not the slightest movement could escape his senses.
Just then, a light, crisp set of footsteps broke the surrounding silence. A figure slowly emerged from the distant shadows, gradually entering Liu Yun's sight.
Liu Yun's heart suddenly shuddered at that moment, not from fear, but from a sudden sense of familiarity.
The woman's face was exquisitely delicate, her features refined as though she had stepped out of a painting. A quiet elegance and serenity lay between her brows. Liu Yun's heartbeat quickened involuntarily, because he realized that this woman who had suddenly appeared looked astonishingly like him—she was his younger sister, Liu Ling.
"Ling'er?" Liu Yun's voice trembled with disbelief. He could hardly trust his own eyes. He had never expected them to reunite in such a way at such a crucial moment.
Liu Ling smiled, her smile warm and radiant, as though it could dispel every shadow.
"Brother, it's me. I came to collect samples for new medicine research. What are you doing here?"
Hearing Liu Ling's familiar, warm voice, the tension and vigilance in Liu Yun's heart receded like a tide, replaced by indescribable joy and reassurance. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his excitement. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, and his eyes shone with the joy of reunion.
"Ling'er, how did you end up here? It's dangerous here. You shouldn't have come." Though Liu Yun sounded reproachful, his tone was full of affection and concern. He stepped forward and tightly grasped